by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin doesn't deliver as many booming checks as he did in his early days, but one Wednesday night unintentionally sent a teammate off the ice.

Ovechkin and Martin Erat were chasing New York Rangers center Derek Stepan as he raced for a loose puck in the Capitals' zone on a short-handed chance in the first period. Ovechkin caught up and hit Stepan, sending both Stepan and Erat flying.

Erat's left glove came off and his arm hit the ice. He was holding his wrist after sliding into the net.

He left the game and did not return. After the game, coach Adam Oates told reporters that it was upper body injury and Erat would be re-evaluated on Thursday.

Both Ovechkin (charging) and Erat (hooking) were penalized on the play, leaving the Capitals two men short at the end of the period and for early in the second period. They killed it off, but the Rangers eventually won 4-3 to even the series at 2-2.